Shoulder injury sidelines Springs

SEATTLE, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Oft-injured cornerback Shawn Springs of the Seattle Seahawks will miss at least half the upcoming NFL season because of a broken bone in his right shoulder.

He was injured in the team's preseason finale Friday night at Denver in a collision with Broncos' running back Mike Anderson. It likely will require a six to eight week recovery and rehabilitation period.

"Every time I put on the damn uniform (something bad happens)," Springs told the Seattle Times. "I try to get away from it (injuries), but it didn't work. I said to myself, 'This cannot be real.' "

Springs, in the last year of his original contract, has been hampered by injuries throughout his career. He lost playing time in 1997 (broken thumb), 2000 and '01 (hamstring injuries), and 2002 (sprained foot).

He also was suspended in 2001 for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy, reportedly for steroids.

Springs, a native of Silver Spring, Md., and former standout at Ohio State, has 359 tackles and 19 interceptions in his six years with the Seahawks. He was the third overall pick in the 1997 draft.

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